The Effects of Inclusion on Learning - Essay Example

Running Head: Inclusion Inclusion of the of the Inclusion Educators have been taking positive action towards integrating developmentally delayed children in the general school environment. Inclusion is when all students are being educated in the same classroom, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses. Years ago, children with disabilities were not included in the federal education system. Federal laws didnt begin until 1975 to allow children with disabilities to be included in the classroom. In the mid-70s, about one million children with disabilities werent receiving a public education. They were either not education or sent to special homes (Gutloff, 1999). Today inclusion has become a popular way to teach and include children with disabilities in the classroom. Many people think that it is a great way to get them in a normal educational setting. On the other hand, many teachers are against inclusion and think that it takes away from the children in the classroom that dont have disabilities. After reviewing both sides of inclusion, I think that inclusion is a great way to teach children with disabilities. It is also a great way to integrate all different kinds of students into one classroom. The whole idea of inclusion is to be able to put all students in a learning environment without knowing who has a disability and who doesnt. No one student should be singled out in any classroom. Every student deserves an education without feeling alienated. In an inclusion classroom, no one knows who has an Individualized Educational Program and who doesnt. All of the students are mixed in the same classroom, but at the same time their teachers meet their individual education needs. Teachers need to modify the way they educate students so that they can meet the needs of students differences (Capper, Frattura, Keyes, 2000). It can be very embarrassing for students who have an Individualized Educational Program. Many times these students are labeled and they feel like they are an outcast because they are in a special education classroom. They feel left out and arent included in the classroom with the rest of their peers. Inclusion gets everyone involved in the classroom and doesnt make anyone be labeled as an outcast. Often time students that go to the resource room are labeled as being "stupid." But, in reality most students who receive resource, who are in an inclusion classroom, have a higher IQ than the students who do not receive resource. Therefore, they are not stupid. The label they have received just makes them feel like they arent as smart as their peers. Inclusion has helped to limit labeling so that everyone is included in the classroom (Shanker, 1995). Inclusion has also helped to blend services so that no one is aware of who has what disability and who needs what kind of help. Albert Einstein would have had an Individualized Educational Program in todays world. Just because you have an Individualized Educational Program does not mean that you are stupid. In many cases, these students are actually smarter than most of the people in their class, they just need a little extra help. A gifted student, a prodigy, could easily flunk out of school. Just because you are smart doesnt mean you dont need to receive services and just because you have an Individualized Educational Program does not make you a dumb student. That is why inclusion works so well for so many students. It includes all students in the same setting. There shouldnt be a "smart class" and a "dumb class." There should just be one class where all students can be educated. This would be fair to everyone and all students can receive an education without being labeled. Many times education does not give students a chance due to labels. Its up to the teacher and the administration to make sure that they meet the individual needs of all of their students. You cant label students as the special education student, the music student, the computer nerd student, and the drama geek student. We have to just help each child to develop educationally. Separate programs can label students. (Capper, Frattura, Keyes, 2000). Everyone has something that theyre better at than others, but as a teacher you cannot make a students strong point become their downfall. You must use students strengths to bring up their weaknesses. Not only can inclusion be used with special education students, it can be used in any classroom with any kind of students. Teachers need to reevaluate the way they look at intelligence. Many people believe that they can serve students better if they are separated from their peers. It can be harder for a student to be isolated in one classroom from everyone else, being removed from his or her classroom, or being removed from his or her school. (Capper, Frattura, Keyes, 2000). A student that is in a special education classroom goes to the same classroom each day, many times for years. In some schools all special education students in all of the elementary grades are put into one classroom. They are not broken up by grade or age group. They are all just put together in one room. I do not believe that this is the right way to educate a student. If at all possible students should be integrated together. This is why inclusion works so well for so many students. It helps students get out of the special education room and into the real classrooms. Students of all abilities should be successful in one school system. Alternative education programs require separate funding, separate staff and materials, and a learning environment away from other students. One kind of teaching does not fit all students, but you can still teach different kinds of students in one classroom. Just because you have students with different needs in one classroom does not mean you need to divide the students into separate classes. Many administrators agree with inclusion because it saves money. Providing separate programs for students is expensive. Special programs cost 130% more than general education. Generally a school district spends $5,000 per student and $11,500 on a student in a special education program. This is because students in separate programs often require their own space, materials, a special education teacher, and an administrator to manage their program. Inclusion is not only a better way to teach students, but it also saves a lot of money (Capper, Frattura, Keyes, 2000 ). The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) has been making more improvements in inclusion. The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997 states: "The education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by co-ordinating this Act with other local, educational service agency, State, and Federal school improvement efforts in order to ensure that such children benefit from such efforts and that special education can become a service for such children rather than a place where they are sent." All students deserve an equal education where their needs are met. They should not just be sent to a special education classroom. In conclusion, inclusion is a great way to integrate students into one classroom. Inclusion saves money, it helps to stop labeling, and it helps to integrate all students to learn in one environment, while still receiving their educational needs. Although inclusion isnt used in all classrooms, it has been proven to be successful in many classrooms and for many students. Inclusion is becoming more common and its being used more and more in each school district (Baker, 1995). Educators need to find a way to include all students in an educational setting where the student isnt alienated. Inclusion is an excellent way to educate students. References Baker, E. T., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (1995). The effects of inclusion on learning. Educational Leadership, 52, 33-35. Capper, C., Frattura, E., & Keyes, M. (2000). Meeting the Needs of All Students: How Leaders Go Beyond Inclusion. Corwin Press, CA. Gutloff, K. (May, 1999). Inclusion confusion.(p. 4-6). NEA Today. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA): Implications for Social Workers, June 1997, P.L. 105-17 Shanker, A. (1995). Full inclusion is neither free nor appropriate. Educational Leadership, 52, 18-21. Read More